New York Knicks forward Michael Beasley, left, goes to the basket while defended by Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 2, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

DeAndre Jordan’s value to the Clippers has always been a mixture of the sublime and the ridiculous. His towering presence in the paint opened things up for his teammates, an easy-to-miss aspect of their high-energy offense, and his brute strength wreaked havoc on opposing defenses.

It’s been a lethal combination in good times and bad, but mostly good.

Jordan was at his impactful best during the Clippers’ 23-point rout Friday of the New York Knicks, when he came within one point of his ninth career 20-point and 20-rebound game. He made 9 of 11 shots en route to 19 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, including six on the offensive end.

His offensive aggression helped to open the perimeter for his teammates, including Lou Williams, who scored 21 points on 6-for-16 shooting, and Austin Rivers, who scored 19 on 7-for-13 shooting. He only played 28 minutes, 22 seconds, sitting out the fourth quarter with the game in hand.

The Clippers will need all the 10-year veteran can deliver down the stretch, if the hope to rally for a playoff berth in the chaotic Western Conference. As of Saturday morning, they were in ninth place and a half-game out of eighth and 2 1 /2 games out of third.

Crazy, right?

Almost as crazy as the thought of Jordan playing elsewhere next season. Jordan, the Clippers’ all-time leader in games played for the franchise, can opt out of the final year and $24 million of his contract at season’s end and sign with another NBA team when the free-agent window opens in July.

However, Jordan said recently that there are at least 21 regular-season games to be played before a decision can be made about his future. After all, it’s possible he and the Clippers agree to an extension that they could not before 2017-18 begins.

As he said in an interview with Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports, “I’m here and that’s what I’m focused on. I’m excited. Like I told somebody the other day, I hope I can play another 10 years here. That’s what I’m focused on now.”

The Clippers did attempt to trade him at the Feb. 8 deadline, but were unsuccessful in completing a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to numerous reports. They did trade Chris Paul last summer and Blake Griffin in January, leaving Jordan as the sole survivor of Lob City.

The departures of Paul and Griffin, and especially Griffin’s five-season, $173-million contract, could make it easier for the Clippers to re-sign Jordan. Any team would covet Jordan’s skills, including his improved free-throw percentage, none more than the Clippers.

Plus, the tension that was present while Jordan played with Paul and Griffin and created the greatest period of success in Clippers history has vanished. What’s left is a stubborn, hard-nosed team on the court with a sense of playfulness off it. The current team leaves its fighting on the floor.

In many ways, Jordan has emerged as the Clippers’ leader. He bantered loudly in the locker room with his teammates after Friday’s victory, making fun of their postgame attire. They fired back, with Austin Rivers critiquing his multi-colored shirt.

Jordan also claimed to reporters that newly-acquired center Boban Marjanovic made an impassioned halftime speech about increasing their defensive pressure, which led to a decisive run in the third quarter against the Knicks. Marjanovic laughed when the reporters approached him.

“Me? No,” said Marjanovic, an outgoing 7-foot-3 Serb who has become a fan and locker room favorite since the Clippers acquired him in the Griffin trade Jan. 29 with the Detroit Pistons.

“My name has been mentioned (in trades) for the past few years,” Jordan told Yahoo. “So, I’m not tripping on that. I really don’t give a (expletive) at this point. I’m just playing, man, staying locked into the game, playing as hard as I can for this organization because I love this team, and I love where we’re at and the group of guys that I’m playing with, so that’s what makes me happy.”

Elliott Teaford covers the Anaheim Ducks for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He covered the Ducks for 12 years, including the Stanley Cup season, for the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Breeze before returning to the beat in 2018 for SCNG. He also covered the Lakers for five seasons, including their back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and '10. He once made a jump shot over future Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton during a pickup game in 1980 at Cypress College.